New family ties online pay off for CNN

CBS.MarketWatch.com

America Online
AOL
Wednesday indicated that family ties count by announcing Time Warner's
TWX, +0.72%
CNN Interactive will become the premier broadcast news provider for AOL-owned Netscape Netcenter and the instant chat service ICQ. Bob Pittman, president and chief operating officer of AOL, said, "As we move forward with the merger of AOL and Time Warner, today's announcements are great examples of the quick synergies we can achieve together." The companies said they will "explore" adding other CNN brands to Netcenter.

Record companies warn MTV on Web radio

Viacom's
VIA, -0.35%
MTV Interactive Group, or MTVi, is in a disagreement with a pair of music companies that object to MTVi's Net radio business plans, according to CNet. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission by MTV contained the disclosure "demanding that we cease our use of their music in this manner and pay for our past use." MTVi said it has not paid license fees to the record companies, arguing Web use is within the scope of the fees it pays, the report said. MTVi announced plans last week for a public stock offering.

Paul Allen buys Sporting News

A high-tech titan has bought an old-media stalwart. Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures said it's agreed to buy The Sporting News from Times Mirror
TMC, +0.55%
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "The value of strong, national brands to Internet audiences cannot be underestimated," said William Savoy, president of Vulcan Ventures. "As we further develop the comprehensive portal and channel offerings for our cable customers, we will look for precisely (this) type of branded, established vertical content offerings." Vulcan Ventures will take over operation of The Sporting News' 114-year-old magazine, as well as its online division and its book and other print properties.

In a related item, SportsLine.com
SPLN, -97.00%
said it will team with the Web site of London's Financial Times, FT.com, to provide domestic and international sports news and information. A co-branded Web site at SportsLine.FT.com will include content from both SportsLine.com and its European-based subsidiary, Sports.com. MarketWatch.com, publisher of this Web site and, like SportsLine, partially owned by CBS Corp., is also engaged in an arrangement with the FT.

Heavier Net users more socially isolated

Researchers at Stanford University say the Internet is creating a class of people who work more hours both at the office and at home, while becoming increasingly isolated in their private lives. The study was done by the university's Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society. Institute director Norman Nie said interviews with 4,113 people persuaded him that "(w)e're moving from a world in which you know all your neighbors, see all your friends, interact with lots of different people every day, to a functional world, where interaction takes place at a distance," The Washington Post reported. A quarter of the people questioned in the research said they use the Internet more than five hours a week and said they spent less time with friends and family as a result. Two-thirds of those surveyed spend fewer than five hours a week on the Net, and their behavior has changed little, according to the study.

Gannett trades promos for Net equity

The Gannett Co. said it purchased an equity interest in Luxury Link LLC through a deal including cash and promotional visibility in its publications, which include USA Today. "Luxury Link is providing a unique vehicle to inform users about high-quality travel destinations that they otherwise might not have considered for their travel plans," said Gannett President Douglas McCorkindale. Luxury Link provides a searchable database of hotels, tours and specialty travel, as well as an auction page where properties can be purchased.

Auto sites hit the button

Online car shoppers have one "hot button," and it's price, according to a Cincinnati-based research firm that surveyed consumers who visited the DealerNet.com Web site. Almost 1,000 visitors were involved, with 92 percent of them saying prices of vehicles in inventory were the most important pieces of information for dealers' Web sites to offer. Most shoppers, about 86 percent of those surveyed, said they did get vehicle prices on dealer Web sites. "When shoppers e-mailed dealers for more information, most dealers (55 percent) responded within 24 hours," Judy George, senior vice president of researcher Friedman-Swift, said. "But 19 percent of dealers never responded to shoppers' inquiries at all."

Intel sees next-generation Internet

Foreseeing a "third generation" Internet, a top Intel
INTC, +0.17%
executive told a hardware and software developer conference in Palm Springs, Calif., that the next step in online development will involve linking companies with their suppliers. "As more companies use the Internet to automate both ends of their businesses, changes at one supplier or customer will allow information to cascade to others in the supply chain, encouraging goods and services to flow more efficiently," said Paul Otellini, executive vice president and general manager in Intel's architecture business group. "With today's focus on online sales and fulfillment, we haven't completed the tools and applications that companies will need to automate their supplier interactions."

Intuit says online tax-prep pace soars

Intuit
INTU, -0.59%
said 405,000 completed tax returns have been processed through its Quicken TurboTax on the Web service, 50 percent more than during the entire tax season last year. So far this year, Intuit said, 875,000 tax filers have started a federal return on its Web site, located at www.turbotax.com. The service charges $9.95 for federal and state returns' processing. Meanwhile, the online tax prep service offered by H&R Block
HRB, +0.70%
continued to be shut down.A message on the site explained that "we're currently experiencing difficulties serving everyone trying to use our online tax program."The company said it aims to have the service back in operation by this weekend.

Bridal Web site tries print

Internet-based The Knot
KNOT
will bring its advice on wedding planning and gown purchasing to newsstands at the end of the month with Wedding Gowns, a 400-page magazine. It includes designs from at least 100 designers. "We're translating our great advice, gorgeous photography and comprehensive information into a take-it-with-you print vehicle," said CEO David Liu.

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